[net.movies] "The Hidden Fortress" vs. Star Wars

jab@uokvax.UUCP (04/21/84)

#N:uokvax:3900025:000:1164
uokvax!jab    Apr 21 00:50:00 1984

There's a movie that was recently re-released, called "The Hidden Fortress".
It's Japanese (or Chinese, but the subtitles were English, so it didn't
matter) and is pretty good. Let me tell you a little about the plot:

	A long time ago, in a dynasty far away...

Our story begins with two characters (one tall, one short) doing a Laurel and
Hardy impression. They're not that competent, but they just escaped from a
battle.  They find out that the enemy is looking for a princess (10 gold
pieces for her capture, 3 for information) and they soon wander into a
legendary general from the war. These four characters have the task of defeating
the enemy and restore the old, tried ways of life.

Sound familiar?  I could tell you about the sword, or about the hidden fortress,
or about... but I won't. This movie was made LONG BEFORE "Star Wars" and is
obviously the source of many of Lucas's ideas. ("Star Wars" had the dogfights,
but this has a sword fight between the Obiwan-type character and the Darth-type
character that made the Obiwan-Darth confrontation look feeble.)

If this comes to a city near you, see it. (Ignore the singing.)

	Jeff Bowles
	Lisle, IL